Manager Don Mattingly was in such an interesting mood Sunday he was joking about a long timetable for the return of injured rookie Yasiel Puig.

It was a lazy morning and Mattingly said, rather matter-of-factly, Puig could be out one day or two weeks with tightness in his left hip.

That was before the game.

In the bottom of the ninth, Puig put on his batting helmet and batting gloves. He entered the game as a pinch hitter with the bases loaded and two outs. Puig grounded into a fielder’s choice on a first pitch from the Giants’ Sergio Romo.

Another day, another loss for the Dodgers, who once were the hottest team in baseball.

Two weeks off is a dicey prospect for the star, especially considering the National League playoffs start in 18 days. Puig essentially saved the Dodgers’ season, but he’s necessary for a lengthy postseason run, too.

“He could either play Monday or be out two weeks,” Mattingly said. “It doesn’t seem that serious. Just trying to give myself a window.”

After San Francisco’s 4-3 win over the Dodgers, Mattingly again said Puig was on the same timetable — out up to two weeks.

“He said he couldn’t play defense, but he could pinch hit,” Mattingly said.

Think this isn’t going to send Dodgers fans, who last cheered their team to a World Series title in 1988, into a September tizzy?P uig thinks he could play in Arizona, where the Dodgers’ four-game roadtrip begins today.

“With the treatment I’m getting, it shouldn’t take very long,” Puig said.

The injury isn’t serious enough to require an MRI, but the Dodgers’ collective health is serious enough to cause much angst.

So is the way the Dodgers have played in losing eight of their last 11 games. They’re still stuck on the magic No. 4 (Dodgers wins combined with Arizona losses) to lock up the National League West title.

This is no laughing matter.

Mattingly’s frustration is visible. Every team wants to enter the postseason playing well, and the Dodgers’ mid-September stride could be described best as limping.

The situation with Puig is particularly confusing.

It wouldn’t be hard to imagine Puig lobbying to enter the game, but he said through an interpreter: “I was ready to play just like every other player on the team. They came to me to hit. I was ready for it. Sadly, it didn’t end like I wanted it too.”

Puig — demonstrative, emotional and clutch in pressure situations — is hardly like every other player on the team.

Advertisement

The Dodgers are throwing out patchwork lineups because there are so many injuries, and the playoffs are looming. On Sunday, the outfield consisted of Jerry Hairston Jr. in left, Skip Schumaker in center and Nick Buss in right field.

Remember when the outfield was too crowded with Andre Either, Matt Kemp, Puig and Carl Crawford?

All four are out with injuries.

Sure, now is the time for players to get healthy, but if players aren’t healthy when the postseason begins the Dodgers’ World Series dreams could be crushed.

Ethier is walking around with a boot on his left ankle. Hanley Ramirez has a pinched nerve in his back that’s caused pain in his hamstring. Carl Crawford is out with a sore back. Kemp (hamstring) could be back as early as today, but it’s unknown what kind of bat he’ll be wielding when he does return.